1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock system with a motor vehicle lock which can be locked and unlocked by a motor and which can be opened mechanically or by a motor, and with control electronics.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional electromechanical motor vehicle door lock systems with radio remote control, but without the passive entry function, are known. In these classical vehicle door lock systems the operator presses a button on the remote control module. This activates the control electronics which passes through its reaction phase immediately. Based on the distance of the operator when the button of the remote control module is pressed, the operator reaches the outside door handle on the motor vehicle door with such a long time delay that the reaction phase of the control electronics has long been completed and the motor vehicle lock has been unlocked. By pulling on the outside door handle, the operator opens the motor vehicle door, the motor vehicle lock either opening mechanically, therefore the detent pawl being lifted by the motion of the outside door handle, or opening electromechanically or pneumatically, the outside door handle delivering a control signal to the opening drive to raise the detent pawl.
One such conventional electromechanical motor vehicle door lock system is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,296. The lock element is driven by an electric motorized central interlock drive with an electric drive motor and a worm gear pair. The worm wheel of the worm gear pair is the drive element of the central interlock drive and it runs comparatively slowly. The shifting of the lock element from the locked position into the unlocked position by means of the central interlock drive requires at least 50 ms, usually longer.
Control electronics with a so-called passive entry function, also called an xe2x80x9celectronic keyxe2x80x9d, differs from the above explained classical motor vehicle door lock system in that on the remote control module no manipulation is necessary, therefore a button need not be pressed to unlock the motor vehicle lock when approaching the motor vehicle. Rather, this takes place all by itself simply when the operator approaches the motor vehicle.
A motor vehicle door lock system with a passive entry function requires for the control electronics a certain reaction phase which is ordinarily composed of a starting interval to activate the system as the remote control module approaches, an authorization check interval to check the operator for his authorization using the coding of the signals exchanged between the remote control module and the control electronics, and finally the actual action interval in which the action takes place, especially the unlocking of the motor vehicle lock is carried out. (A corresponding reaction phase is also needed when locking the motor vehicle door lock system, but this is less critical because it is essentially unnoticed by the operator.)
A length of the reaction phase of roughly 150 milliseconds compared to conventional motor vehicle door lock systems is perceived as long if the starting interval is begun only when the outside door handle is activated. Pulling the outside door handle or the like can take place in a passive entry function under certain circumstances when the reaction phase of the control electronics has not yet been completed. The operator is annoyed that he must then pull the door handle a second time and this is interpreted as a xe2x80x9cmalfunctionxe2x80x9d.
Since the resulting total time of the reaction phase cannot be shortened as much as desired, attempts have already been made to conceal the delay time as is described in the published German reference DE-A-195 21 024. In this motor vehicle door lock system the starting interval and the authorization check interval of the control electronics are shifted into the phase which precedes the actual operation phase which is noticeable to the operator. Then, simply the remaining time which corresponds to the reaction time of mechanical, conventional motor vehicle door lock systems is noticeable to the operator.
A different approach is to have the starting interval of the control electronics initiated not only when the outside door handle is activated, but to use the approach of the hand of the operator to the outside door handle to initiate the starting interval. For this purpose, a proximity sensor on the outside door handle is described in German published references DE-A-197 52 974 and DE-A-196 17 038, by which the proximity of the hand of the operator is acquired roughly 100 to 150 ml before the hand touches of the outside door handle. Initiation of the starting interval of the control electronics, therefore the xe2x80x9cwakeningxe2x80x9d of the control electronics, therefore takes place so far in advance of the actual pulling of the outside door handle that the starting interval and generally also the authorization check interval have already been completed when the outside door handle is in fact moved by the hand of the operator.
The use of proximity sensors in motor vehicle door lock systems of the type under consideration entails various difficulties. On the one hand, the proximity sensors have a comparatively high rest current, on the other hand it is difficult to set a stable, definite response threshold. External influences such as rain, snow, dirt and dust greatly change the measured values in capacitive proximity sensors. Finally, in proximity sensors the problem of the stray electromagnetic radiation emitted by them cannot be ignored. Therefore, in spite of the aforementioned difficulties, motor vehicle door lock systems with the passive entry function in which only actuation of the outside door handle by the hand of the operator initiates the starting interval of the control electronics also have major advantages.
As can be taken from the aforementioned, in motor vehicle door lock systems with a passive entry function in all the aforementioned versions there is the problem that the reaction of the control electronics is preferably to be shortened as much as possible, in any case with respect to perception by the operator.
For themselves, it is known in motor vehicle door lock systems that the central interlock drive can be connected via a centrifugal clutch to the drive element for the lock element as described in published European reference EP 0 064 942 B1. This makes it possible to move the lock element by hand without major resistance if the central interlock drive is stationary. This is one alternative to the initially addressed construction of a conventional electromechanical motor vehicle door lock system in which this shifting by hand is implemented without major resistance by a corresponding configuration of the lock element. In any case, the construction there does not act in each position of the central interlock drive, therefore especially not when the central interlock drive remains stopped in an unintended position. Here the use of a centrifugal clutch has clear advantages.
In the motor vehicle door lock systems with a centrifugal clutch, on the central interlock drive the problem of reaction time then arises even if there is no passive entry function. The central interlock drive must first reach the necessary rpm before the centrifugal clutch engages and closes the energy transmission train to the lock mechanism.
The teaching of the invention is to improve a motor vehicle door lock system of the type under consideration, especially one with a passive entry function with respect to the reaction of the control electronics with consideration of the fact that the central interlock drive is equipped with a clutch which engages only with the beginning of minimum rpm, especially in the form of a centrifugal clutch.
The aforementioned object is achieved by a motor vehicle door lock system. On the central interlock drive of each motor vehicle lock a clutch, which engages only with the beginning of minimum rpm, especially in the form of a centrifugal clutch, is assigned to the motor vehicle door lock system. Then, additional speed unlocking is implemented in a manner which is tailored to the particulars of the centrifugal clutch. This is based on the finding that speed unlocking is achieved when the centrifugal clutch is essentially bypassed for the unlocking process. In principle, all the advantages of the use of a centrifugal clutch are achieved, nevertheless the disadvantage of the use of one such clutch is eliminated such that it needs a certain time until the central interlock drive, especially after the end of the authorization check interval in a passive entry function, starts and reaches the minimum rpm and only then is able to move the lock element via the centrifugal clutch.
Immediately after starting the central interlock drive in the passive entry function, therefore immediately after completion of the authorization check interval and in the first part of the action interval, the lock element is moved into the unlocked position. The corresponding applies of course to an element which is downstream of the lock element in the lock mechanism in the energy transmission chain. What is important is that by means of the speed unlocking element the unlocked position of the motor vehicle lock can be reached within a few milliseconds, especially roughly 10 ms. The effort necessary for this purpose is minimal, only a simple bypass construction for the clutch is necessary. The advantages of using a clutch, especially in the form of a centrifugal clutch, are preserved. Its disadvantages, specifically the delay of the response of the central interlock drive are however elegantly eliminated
It is important that the central interlock drive itself is made classically with a slow running drive element and also the time delay for the response which is caused by the centrifugal clutch continues to be present. The central interlock drive is followed-up with an inevitable time delay and after a slightly longer time interval is then in its readiness position for the next function.
The teaching of the invention can be used especially valuably when as already explained above for the prior art, the starting interval is initiated by the hand of the operator in fact actuating, especially touching the outside door handle. In this form, which can dispense with a proximity sensor, for a long time the length of the reaction phase was a special problem because the time advance, which is an advantage in proximity sensors, is absent. But also in a motor vehicle door lock system equipped with a proximity sensor does the teaching of the invention, of course, yield a time advantage.
The teaching of the invention can be integrated especially feasibly also in the already existing classical electromechanical motor vehicle door lock systems without major additional cost so that in existing constructions the passive entry function can be used without disadvantages in the ease of actuation.
The teaching of this invention can be used especially when the motor vehicle door lock is made as an electric lock which is actuated by sensors in the lock mechanism. In one such technology the chains of dynamic effect from the outside door handle, the inside door handle, and optionally from the lock cylinder into the lock mechanism are used only for actuation of the corresponding switches or to influence the corresponding sensors. Based on the existence of mechanical chains of dynamic effect however, if necessary the lock mechanism can be used for purposes of actuating the detent pawl, etc. This concept is the subject matter of co-pending, commonly owned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/550,597 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Finally, the teaching of this invention can also be used in a motor vehicle door lock system without a passive entry function, for example, in especially comfortable motor vehicle door lock systems in conjunction with the actuation of the outside door handle.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention when view in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.